Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Speaker's Special Interests Gambling Bill

We The People have a few questions:

How much did we the taxpayers pay for the second Spectrum Gaming benefit analysis?

UMass Dartmough has benefit analysis paid in part by taxpayers, kids tuition and gambling interests produced every time one is needed by the proponents.....how is that allowed?

Why do you refuse to have a cost analysis?

Why do you state that you met with opponents, when that does not appear to be the case, we ask again with whom did you meet?

Why was the bill, that did not receive a public hearing, and was rammed through Mr. Dempsey's committee immediately following the Easter holiday, not given more time for legislators to read it?

How many legislators did not have time to read it?

How many legislators have not had the time to fully analyze the gambling bill that has no cost analysis while being pressured by proponents?

How are the taxpayers supposed to know what is in the bill and to dialog with their legislators on a bill of this magnitude that is being "fast-tracked" through the House?

Why are no-bid sweetheart licenses that will yield billions for the owners/investors, not required to followed competitive bid processes as outlined in Mass General Laws?

Why are the casino licenses that will yield multi-billions to the often out-of-state owners and investors being given away at a fraction of their value?

Why are you not accounting for the businesses and jobs that will be lost when people spend their money on slots instead of services in the local economy?

Are those people expendable?

When are you going to tell people that the local aid gambling fund is merely an offset for the losses to will occur when the lottery takes a hit?

When are you going to let the people know that there are not enough revenues to offset the costs?

What is the cost of the new state police department?

What is the cost of the new AG department?

What is the cost to implement the economic crime bill statutes?

Do you know that we know, that the responsibility of House Ways & Means is to review all bills and that they passed the Special Interests Gambling Bill in a nanosecond, without a Fiscal Note - on your watch?

This bill is tainted. Vote NO.

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